This invention is directed to a system or device for holding a ladder securely in place when the ladder is in use, and which prevents the ladder from tipping or falling. The invention is more specifically concerned with brackets that clamp to the ladder rails at the upper end of the ladder, and which can also be secured to the building structure itself.
Ladder safety has become an important concern, and it has been of special interest to find ways to secure the ladder when it is erected and against a building. More particularly, it has become important to find ways to help prevent the ladder from sliding or from falling when the ladder is in use. For example, in roof construction and when installing shingles on the roof, it is necessary for the workers to climb up and down the ladder many times each day, usually carrying a load. If the ladder slips, the worker can fall and be injured, and this can also result in lost time in construction and an escalation in insurance premiums. For those reasons, it is useful to tie or brace the upper end of the ladder. However, there is currently no convenient means for doing this, especially when the ladder is used in connection with construction of wooden frame structures, such as houses.
Prior ladder support brackets have been fairly cumbersome, and limited to particular types of structure. These could involve a hook or jaw arrangement, which does not lend itself to use when the available surfaces are flat.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, sturdy ladder safety device that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is another object to provide a ladder safety device or devices that attach easily onto the rails of the ladder, and can be attached to wooden building structure using ordinary screw fasteners, nails, or the like.
It is a further object to provide a ladder safety device whose attaching arms or plates can be oriented to attach to a convenient vertical surface or horizontal or sloping surface, at either an upper or lower side thereof.
According to an aspect of the invention, a ladder safety system secures a ladder to a structure, the ladder having the usual pair of parallel ladder rails and ladder rungs between them. There are a pair of ladder securement assemblies that are adapted to be mounted to the rails, respectively, and to the structure. Each of these assemblies is made up of a rail-mountable bracket member adapted to be removably mounted onto one rail, a rigid plate member adapted to be removably mounted onto the building structure, and a rigid strut member joining the rail mountable bracket to the associated plate member. The rigid plate member and the bracket each have an eye or ring member affixed onto it, and the strut has rings or similar elements at its ends so that the plate and bracket are articulated at the ends of the strut member. This permits the strut to be swung and the plate to be oriented to fit against any convenient surface of the building. The plate member has a plurality of openings for receiving removable fasteners, and its eye member is affixed onto a central portion of the plate member. The strut member is provided with means to permit it length to be adjusted, e.g., a turnbuckle.
Preferably, the rail mountable bracket member can take the form of a U-channel member having one open side, and means disposed at said open side for clamping said U-channel member in place over the associated rail. More specifically, the U-channel can have a web and first and second flanges, i.e., inner and outer flanges as installed on the ladder. The associated ring member would be affixed, i.e., welded, to the outer flange. The open end can be secured by bolts passing through openings at the open side, although other clamping devices, i.e., a hinge clamp, could be used instead.
The plate member can be square in shape, with the screw openings at the corners, and optionally along its sides. However, other shapes could be used, such as hexagon or octagon. The plate member need not be flat. While steel is used in the preferred embodiment described below, other metals such as aluminum could be used instead, as well as other materials such a sturdy reinforced plastic.
The above and many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description of a preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.